Reconciled
by AnneOfNarnia
Summary: It was only when the Lord Drinian offered to search for Prince Rilian and so went to a certain death, that Glenstorm could accept him as fellow Narnian. Oneshot. Friendship fic. Please R&R.


**This story is an end to the problems I created between Glenstorm and Drinian in my story First Steps. Glenstorm never trusted Drinian, because he had fought in Miraz' army (amongst other reasons, find out about them in First Steps and this story). But then he heard of something that changed his opinion.**

**I don't own Narnia, or any of it's characters. They're C.S. Lewis's.**

"General!" There came a young faun guard running towards him. "His Majesty has sent for you."

Without questioning his Liege's motive for calling him, he went to the throne room. But when he walked in, he found it empty. "Where is the King?" He asked the faun who had followed him.

"Pardon me, sir, I forgot to tell you. His Majesty awaits you in his private chambers."

General Glenstorm went on. He had never been called there before. In fact, the only person of the council who was, was that... that Telmarine, Lord Drinian of Owlwood. The man who his King continued to trust, despite his many shortcomings. The man who had fought on the side of the usurper Miraz, against the New Narnia he know claimed to be loyal to. Glenstorm noticed himself touching the scar that that man had caused in this battle. The man who was the cause of the King's, nay, of the entire country's, despair. He, who had had the chance to save Prince Rilian, the only heir to the Narnian throne, had failed to do so. Rage was surging once again in his chest. He knew, as the entire court did, of the King's attempted murder at his 'best friend'. And he wished that His Majesty had proceeded with it, ridding them all of this... this traitor.

He paused before he entered the room to take a few deep breaths. He had to compose himself again. These past years he had worked together with the Telmarine, but not on a voluntary basis. In the first year of his reign, not long after the plot against the King was overcome, King Caspian had made it very clear that he wouldn't have his advisers fighting under his nose. So Glenstorm had done everything in his power to be civil to the man he so hated, but it cost him a lot of control.

On entering the room, he indeed found the Lord Drinian to be with the King. His Majesty seemed to be very enthusiastic about something. He actually smiled when addressing Glenstorm. "General, thank you for meeting me here."

Glenstorm was silent and merely bowed to the King. The other man he greeted with a cold look and a slight bow of his head.

"I still can't believe it!" King Caspian exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief. He seemed quite at a loss for words.

"Might I inquire what Your Majesty finds so hard to believe?"

The King kept smiling. Glenstorm didn't understand why, for ever since the death of the Queen he had been grave and silent. He would have expected to find His Majesty in an even worse condition now that his son had also vanished.

"The Lord Drinian," The King started. Glenstorm clenched his fists, but it went unnoticed. "Has proposed to go on a search mission after my son."

Now it was the general who was at a loss for words. "I beg your pardon?"

The King repeated the words, which still failed to land in his mind.

This Telmarine, this traitor, would risk his life to find the King's son? Glenstorm didn't understand. Everything the Lord Drinian ever did was in his own interest! He had observed his behavior close enough to be sure of that. The man had fought in Miraz' army, but had quickly changed sides after the battle to be sure of his life and possessions. He had discovered a plot against the King's life, but Glenstorm had always thought he had secretly participated in it and when the outcome seemed favorable for King Caspian, turned his coat once again to make it look like he was His Majesty's most loyal servant. He had sailed with the King to the end of the world, but surely his motive had been nothing else than the endless fame and wealth he had gained by that. He had fallen in love with the King's lady, what could be more decisive than that to paint his character? And only days ago he had failed to save the Prince's life. Glenstorm had had no doubt as to his motive. Lord Drinian had a son, the same age as Prince Rilian, who he must certainly hope to be the King's heir, with the Prince gone and he so close a friend to the King.

But this! This could in no way be explained as an act in his own interest. Of course the Lord Drinian would be even closer to the King if the managed to find the Prince, but that chances were so small! It was more likely to become a disappointment, or even... a deadly trip.

Glenstorm knew no longer what to think of the man. He was so deep in thought that he hadn't heard the question the King had asked him. Only when there was a long silence, and both men looked expectantly at him, he realized this. "I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, I didn't hear you." The general was ashamed. He never missed a word of what the King said.

But King Caspian was by no means offended and repeated his question to the general to select a number of men to accompany the Lord Drinian on his trip. Glenstorm bowed his head and spoke: "Immediately, Your Majesty." Then he left the room.

Glenstorm asked the guard outside the King's chambers to convey the King's order to his second-in-command, so he could stay and wait for the Lord Drinian. Glenstorm understood nothing anymore, and he needed to speak to him.

Lord Drinian looked surprised when he saw the centaur was still there. Though he didn't hate the general as much as Glenstorm hated him, he wasn't very set on talking to him. So he just acknowledged his presence with a nod of the head and wanted to walk on, when he heard Glenstorm say: "My Lord!"

Drinian turned around and saw something in the centaur's eyes that he had never seen there before: confusion. The general seemed always so certain of himself and though he had seen his eyes speak of hate, of rage, of pride, they never spoke a weak language.

"Yes, General?"

"I'd like a word with you, sir, in private." The general had never before made any point of who might hear their conversations. He would even shout at him in an overcrowded hall, Drinian was sure, and he remembered an occasion on which he actually almost did.

"Perhaps we might take a walk in the gardens?" Glenstorm continued.

Drinian had never thought the centaur to be a garden type, but if he insisted. They walked outside, not speaking of trivial matters as everyone else in the castle's hallways did, but lost in their own thoughts.

When they had arrived at the gardens and nobody could overhear them, Glenstorm started to talk. "My Lord," The centaur didn't quite know how to put his question into words. "I... You... have surprised me greatly by your conduct."

If the general was waiting for him to ask what he meant by that, he was wrong. Drinian had no intention of making this seemingly difficult conversation any easier for him.

After a long silence, Glenstorm continued: "You know I have never trusted you, my Lord."

Drinian could not see how this sentence was connected to the last one and the next seemed to be vague as well.

"I don't understand at all!" The centaur seemed to understand his own story well enough, but Drinian had still no idea what he was talking about. If he didn't ask, he might still be here at nightfall.

"General, it is I who do not understand you. Please start your story from the beginning and then tell me what happened."

"Yes, my Lord." That was the strangest thing Drinian had ever heard coming from his mouth. General Glenstorm never agreed to anything he said.

"As I said," Glenstorm continued. "I never trusted you. I thought that all your actions were in your own interest." And he told the Lord of Owlwood his views his motives on various occasions. During that, he saw the Lord Drinian become more angry. But he kept speaking and when he had come to the affair with Ramandu's daughter, he was firmly interrupted.

"You know nothing of my motives or my feelings whatsoever, sir. I will not let myself be offended by you. Good day to you, sir." And the Lord of Owlwood turned around and started walking away.

"My Lord, will you please hear me out?" Drinian heard a begging voice behind him and he turned around. "You need to be aware of my sentiments these past few years. They are not meant as an offense, merely as a..."

"Yes?"

"A... stupidity on my side, sir."

Drinian placed himself before the centaur again. "Continue."

Glenstorm decided it would be best to omit his thoughts on Drinian's last action and came to the core of the matter. "I don't understand why you would go on this mission, my Lord."

Then Drinian saw the centaur's problem. It had been so easy for him to always consider the worst motive for Drinian's actions, so his image of a treasonous Telmarine could be maintained. But now he had done something that could by no means be explained as a selfish action. And though it wasn't easy for the general to overlook all his pride and admit that he might have been wrong, he had done so to ease that part of his mind that always cried out for truth.

"I am doing only that what every friend would do," Drinian explained. "Surely you can see that, General, that in all those things you thought I did in my own interest, it was the King's interest I was looking out for. Yes, I have failed to do that on more than one occasion. But what you forgot to mention in your picture of my behavior, was my loyalty. As you, I have stayed with the King all those years. Believe me if I say that I would sooner die than put my own interest before my King's."

"I do believe that now, sir."

"Then let us no longer be enemies, but friends," Drinian proposed.

"Friends," Glenstorm agreed. They kept talking for a while, but then Drinian reminded him he had to leave as soon as possible.

"I wish you a safe journey, Lord Drinian, and I'll pray to Aslan that he might return you to your friends," Glenstorm said.

Drinian smiled. "Thank you, Glenstorm." He shook hands with the centaur and then walked away, off on his mission for King and country.

Glenstorm stayed behind, with as much questions as before, though of a other nature. He had spoken to Lord Drinian of Aslan. What right had he to do so? He had willingly misjudged a loyal Narnian, not paying attention to the feeling he had always had that there might be another side to the story. He had been such an easy subject for all his frustrations.

Glenstorm had always praised himself for his natural insight in all creatures. How wrong he had been about the Lord Drinian. Then it dawned upon him he hadn't asked for his forgiveness. What if he died? Then he would bear this guilt for the rest of his life. Glenstorm shook his head in disapproval. That was selfish of him to think. But the thought of not ever being forgiven struck him and it frightened him.

It was then that he noticed the change in colors in the garden. A golden light spread over the landscape. He knew that this could only mean one thing. Glenstorm turned reluctantly to the source of the light.

And what he had anticipated was true. There stood the Lion, whose ways he was supposed to follow all his life, as his parents had taught him before anything else. He bowed his lowest bow and as he straightened himself again, he let his head remain low.

"My son," Aslan called out to him.

Glenstorm looked up and with a broken voice: "I have sinned against men and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son." He bowed his head in reverence once again, closing his eyes.

On opening his eyes, he found the Lion directly in front of him. "You were lost, but now you are found. Receive forgiveness."

And with that, Glenstorm felt Grace filling him. He knew he was forgiven by the One who made heaven and earth. If Drinian would return, he would hope for his forgiveness as well, but he knew that, if he shouldn't return, this Amazing Grace would still be enough.

**Hope you liked it! Please review and tell me what you think.**

**I have three other stories on Drinian, if you're interested. They also cover the Drinian/Glenstorm problem. For King and Country is very much connected to this story, because it also deals with Drinian's search mission after Prince Rilian but from Caspian's POV.**

**Love Anne**


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